A vow to slaughter a cow

Question

Question: Zayd bought a cow for the wedding of his sister-in-law (his wife’s sister) with the intention that it be slaughtered as a niyaz (offering) in the path of Allah at the walima feast — or simply at the walima feast — and its meat used. For some reason the girl’s side refused the shar‘i contract (nikah). A few days later the boy’s side eloped with the said girl to their home, kept her without a shar‘i contract, and announced, “We are holding a niyaz,” and got ready to slaughter the said cow.

Answer

(1, 2) If a vow was made to slaughter it as a niyaz, then it should be slaughtered as a niyaz, to which the poor and the destitute (masakin) are entitled; and at a walima the poor are not specifically designated. Moreover, the walima takes place after the shar‘i contract and the consummation (zifaf). In the case asked about there is neither a walima nor a niyaz.

Source: Fatawa Mahmudiyya

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